Red Velvet Cookies

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These moist and chewy Red Velvet Cookies are every cookie lover's dream come true with their delicious chocolate and vanilla flavor, velvety cake-like texture, and striking red color! Generously speckled with chunks of chopped white chocolate, every bite will give you a rush of rich chocolate goodness. Plus, these delicious cookies are ready in just 20 minutes with no chilling required!

Red Velvet Cookies with white chocolate are moist and chewy, deliciously chocolatey with a cake-like texture, and are striking red. Ready in 20 minutes! | aheadofthyme.com

These red velvet cookies with white chocolate are reminiscent of my Red Velvet Crinkles, but instead of a sprinkling of confectioners' sugar, I used a liberal amount of white chocolate to give them pockets of gooey goodness! This from-scratch recipe is tried and true, all you have to do is follow the recipe to a T and you'll be rewarded with the best Red Velvet Cookies ever! Once you have tried them, you'll may never go back to buying them from the bakery. With their festive red color, these homemade cookies are perfect for Christmas and Valentine's Day, and every holiday in between.

Why You'll Love these Red Velvet Cookies

A simple and easy cookie recipe. Even if you are not an avid baker, this super easy cookie recipe will make you proud. These red velvet cookies with white chocolate are made of simple baking essentials and you can get bite into a freshly baked cookie in about 20 minutes - including prep!
Plenty of festive charm. We added drops of red food coloring to give it a bright ruby hue which is the perfect backdrop for the white chocolate chunks. You can add more edible embellishments to make them even more festive-looking.
Moist and chewy texture. You'll get all the lusciousness of a red velvet cake but in a compact cookie form loaded with sweetness and velvety goodness. These cookies are moist, soft, and chewy. All the best things!
Can be made gluten-free and vegan. With some simple substitutions, you can make these cookies friendly to your plant-based and gluten-allergic friends and family. Read our recipe tips below for all the substitutions.

Ingredient Notes

To make these festive Red Velvet Cookies with White Chocolate, you will need the following ingredients (full measurements in recipe card below):

butter - unsalted and softened to room temperature. This will give the cookies tender crumbs and a rich and moist texture. You can also use applesauce 1:1 or half the amount of coconut oil.
sugars - I used light brown sugar and granulated sugar for this recipe. These are both essential in the texture development of the cookies. While white sugar helps make the cookies thick when creamed with butter, brown sugar allows the cookies to spread as they bake, making them softer and chewier.
eggs - aside from binding the ingredients together and adding a richer taste, eggs also help in making the cookies rise and spread as they bake to give them the perfect texture.
vanilla extract - gives the cookies a delicate flavor and aroma while further enhancing the cocoa and chocolate flavor.
red food coloring - this makes the cookies more pleasing to the eye! You can also use gel food color or another natural food coloring you like. Take note that the vibrancy of color would depend on what brand and type you use.
all-purpose flour - this is ideal for making cookies with tender and moist crumbs.
baking soda - the leavening agent used to make these cookies.
cocoa powder - use natural and not dutch processed or dark cocoa powder because they tend to result in darker cookies and they will not be as vibrantly red.
white chocolate - I used roughly chopped white chocolate because they give the cookies more texture. Their bigger size also makes the cookies more indulgent compared to chocolate chips. But you can choose to substitute with white chocolate chips if you prefer.
salt

Baking Tools

You will also need the following baking tools and equipment:

How to Make the Best Red Velvet Cookies

Combine wet ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer cream together butter and sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla and beat on low until incorporated. Add the red food coloring and beat until incorporated.
Add dry ingredients. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat until just combined.

Fold in chocolate. Fold in 1 ¼ cup of chopped white chocolate (reserving the remaining ¼ cup for the tops).

Scoop cookies. Line a large half sheet baking tray with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Use a medium cookie scoop to scoop out 1.5-2 tablespoons of cookie dough. Use your hands to roll it into a ball. Place the cookie balls onto the lined baking sheet, spaced at least 2 inches apart.
Bake. Bake cookies in a 350F preheated oven for 8-11 minutes, until starting to brown on the edges but still soft or slightly underdone in the middle.
Add chocolate. After a minute, press in the extra chocolate on the top of the cookies. Leave on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

Variations for Red Velvet Cookies

Make it gluten-free- All you have to do is to swap the all-purpose flour with a gluten-free brand. As for the rest of the ingredients, they should all be naturally free of gluten, but it is always best to check as some may be contaminated upon manufacturing.
Make vegan red velvet cookies. Not only will these substitutions make the cookies vegan-friendly, but they will also be lighter and healthier. Here are the possible alternatives: use vegan butter or coconut oil instead of regular butter. You can also swap the eggs with mashed bananas or applesauce and use vegan white chocolate.
Make red velvet cookie sandwiches. Your kids will go bonkers over this one! Spread vanilla cream over the bottom of one cookie and place another cookie on top - you instantly have a delicious cookie sandwich with double the chocolate and velvety goodness!
Make it more Christmas-y! Sprinkle Christmas sprinkles or sugar dust on top of the cookies before baking to double up on the holiday vibes! You can also add a dash of cinnamon powder to give the cookies a warmer flavor.
Drizzle with cream cheese glaze. Adding a drizzle of cream cheese glaze will add a layer of tangy-sweetness to the cookies!

Recipe Tips and Tricks

The butter should be softened but not melted. This is important to achieve a fudgier texture and allows the sugar to properly cream with the butter.
Do not over mix the cookie dough. Mix only until just combined. Mixing it too much will create lots of air pockets that will pop later on and make the cookies flat and hard. Exactly the opposite of what we want!
Use your hands to form the cookie into balls. This will result in cookies with smooth edges. You can skip this part and just scoop out your cookie dough onto the baking sheet but the edges will be more rustic rather than smooth.
Place them with space. Place the cookies at least 2 inches apart in the baking pan to give them space to spread and cook evenly.
Do not over bake the cookies. I always take them out of the oven once the edges start to brown and they are still soft in the middle. They will continue to bake with the residual heat but not enough to make them hard and crisp.
Cooling time. Leave the cookies on the baking pan to cool after taking them out of the oven. They will still be soft and pliant after baking so moving them right away will result in tearing. They will firm up after a few minutes then you can transfer them to the wire rack to fully cool

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I eat the cookie dough raw?

No, I do not recommend this because it contains eggs and flour. If you enjoy eating raw cookie dough, swap eggs with mashed bananas or applesauce instead. You also cannot eat raw cookie dough because of the flour. It needs to at least be toasted first.

What rack should I place the cookies on?

Always place the baking pan on the middle rack because that is where the hot air circulates evenly. This way, the cookies will be uniformly baked.

Can I skip the food color?

Yes, you can. Or you can just use natural food coloring if you are averse to use artificial coloring. But take note that they will not turn as vibrantly red as you see them in the pictures above.

Can I make the Red velvet cookie dough ahead of time?

Sure you can! Place the dough in a freezer bag and freeze for up to three months. Thaw in the fridge overnight, scoop and bake when you want some!

Storing and Freezing Instructions

Make sure that the cookies are cool before storing them in airtight containers. If you store cookies while they are still warm, it will create steam and make them soggy.

How to Store

Place leftover red velvet cookies in an airtight container in a cool, dry area on your counter or pantry and they should last for about 3 days. You can also refrigerate them for a week, however, the longer they are stored the less moist they will be.

How to Freeze

Red velvet cookies freeze well both baked and before baking. To freeze baked cookies, let them cool completely first, then store in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, allow them to thaw overnight in the refrigerator and then reheat or place on the counter to bring them up to room temperature (about 15-20 minutes).

How to Freeze Cookie Dough

To freeze red velvet cookie dough, scoop out the cookie balls and place on a lined baking sheet. Transfer the baking sheet to the freezer and freeze for 1-2 hours until hard. Then, transfer the cookie dough balls into a freezer bag and store for up to 3 months. To bake, thaw the cookie dough balls in the refrigerator overnight. Then, bake according to recipe instructions.

More Cookie Recipes

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